The Department of Agriculture, Food, and Fisheries’ refusal to release the accident report on the loss of 230,000 salmon in a February 2014 storm has been annulled by the Information Commission, Peter Tyndal.

Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney’s Department had refused to release the report on the grounds that it was an 'internal communication' and that the public ‘interest would not be served by the disclosure’.

In its appeal to the Information Commissioner, FIE claimed the release is ‘a matter of extreme public importance not only in the light of the circumstances of the Gerahies incident, but also because of the failure of the Department to carry out its regulatory functions properly in ensuring compliance with aquaculture licensing conditions aimed at preventing the escape of fish.’ read full story / add a comment

At the end of yet another «historic» marathon session Brussels negotiations between the Greek government and its creditors, a «definitive» agreement has yet again been found to «resolve" the Greek crisis: Greek Prime Minister Tsipras and his team have come to accept as a condition for new loans to the virtually bankrupt Greek government, a plan of austerity measures significantly harsher than he had rejected a week earlier and against which he had, supposedly, held a referendum! The only point where he apparently got something concrete, is that of the reduction in military spending: the creditors have accepted that it is weaker than what they asked for... read full story / add a comment

The EU has enforced a humiliating surrender on Greece. The Syriza government that was elected to end austerity has been forced to implement it. The meaning of Wolfgang Schauble, the German Finance Minister’s infamous phrase ‘we can’t possibly allow an election to change anything’ is now clear.

The scale of the brutality is astounding. To take just one example: there will be a ‘significantly scaled up privatisation programme’ to generate a fund of €50 billion. This fund will then be effectively controlled by the EU to ensure that bank debt and bondholders are paid off. Up to now €7 billion worth of privatisation has been pushed through by other governments in Greece.

The Irish government helped humiliate the Greeks. The former Greek Finance Minister, Yanis Varoufakis, has stated that Ireland – along with Spain and Portugal – were among his ‘energetic enemies’. read full story / add a comment

The WSM has filed this report below of the Dublin protest outside the Turkish embassy last Friday against the massacre in Suruc and at the continual support given to ISIS by the Turkish state.

Dublin protested last night against ISIS and the support it has received to date from the Turkish state. The protest was called by Lookleft in the aftermath of the Suruc bombing. 32 humanitarian volunteers on the way to help in the rebuilding of Kobane were killed in the bombing, at least 2 anarchists were amongst those killed. read full story / add a comment

The controversy over NAMA's sale of the Nothern Ireland loan portfolio, Project Eagle, has not gone away. It suited the Government just fine when the PAC said they would bring NAMA before the committee. - It also suited NAMA, whose polished performance was always going to give them some breathing space, given that the PAC, - no disrespect to any of it's members - just doesn't have the wherewithal to hold them to account. Here is a part of my piece on the workings of NAMA from last Tuesday, when we were debating a Housing Bill . - read full story / add a comment

The trial of two Mayo men accused of violent disorder and damaging property at the Shell Corrib gas project tunneling site in June 2013 continues in Castlebar circuit court.
On Friday four Shell security guards gave evidence to the court and were cross examined by the defence. read full story / add a comment

The die has been cast. The Geek prime minister Tsipras, who won the elections
because of his promise to make an end to Trojka austerity measures, has capitulated,
accepting the hardest EU deal with Greece ever. Shame on him and his party
Syriza, which has lost every credibility. It's a horrible betrayal of OXI, plunging
the Greek people in still worse misery. People of Greece, fight for Freedom! read full story / add a comment

As Shannon Airport prepares to stage an air show on July 18th to celebrate its achievements in the world of aviation, peace groups in Ireland issue a reminder that its recent history is not one to be proud of. Since 2001 the airport has been used by the US military as a gateway to wars in the Middle East. These wars have resulted in the death of innocent men, women and children, left millions of people homeless, and destroyed communities and entire countries. read full story / add a comment

The “Irish Bulletin” was the official newspaper of the Irish Government during the War of Independence. Its aim was the provide those outside Ireland with the Government’s case and the facts of the war that it had to wage. This information could not otherwise be obtained because of the suppression of all other outlets by the British authorities that put the Irish Government‘s case. It was produced with minimal resources and under constant threat of suppression. It was therefore an undergrounds publication despite being the paper of a legitimate government.
It was unadorned with any other content except straightforward factual and irrefutable information. This is what made its reputation and because of that it became one of the most powerful weapons in the war that eventually proved successful.
It deserves an honoured place in Irish history yet it has never been republished and it is hardly referred to by our contemporary historians - and when it is - it is almost inevitably in disparaging terms.
This is the third volume of the paper reproduced as faithfully as possible to the original. Other volumes will follow.

I join the Filipino people, the people’s revolutionary government, the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People’s Army, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, the revolutionary mass organizations and other revolutionary forces in mourning the death of Comrade Leoncio Pitao (Commander Parago) and in celebrating his achievements from the time he joined the NPA in 1978 until his martyrdom yesterday on June 28, 2015.

Recently a major and moral decision was made to quell California legislature as to whether people suffering with terminal illness should have the right to die with dignity. Democrats did not have enough votes although the legislation might come back later in the year? To the extent that there was much of a debate in the news it has been one-sided with a chorus of status quo preventivists. Religion has once again slammed up common sense and compassion.read full story / add a comment

The negotiations on the proposed Transatlantic and Investment Partnership were begun in July 2013, and nine rounds of negotiations have taken place since. The tenth round is due to take place in Brussels on 13 -17 July. The People’s Movement will be holding a demonstration against TTIP at 1 p.m. on Wednesday 15 July outside the EU Parliament offices in Dublin to mark the tenth round of negotiations. All are welcome. Please put it in your diary. read full story / add a comment

The following statement is issued by various progressive individuals and organizations from many parts of the world, but mostly in Asia-Pacific. A copy of the statement has already been sent to Syriza's international department.

From Sutton, Dublin, Patrick Cannon was a 20 year old IRA man killed in a premature bomb explosion while travelling in a car, with 24 year old Peter McElchar , in Castlederg, County Tyrone, on 17th July 1976. read full story / add a comment

On Saturday 18th July the East Wall History Group will host the inaugural Sarah Lundberg Summer School. Held in conjunction with the Alternative Visions Oral History Group, the event is in honour of our friend and colleague Sarah Lundberg, an archivist, historian and publisher who tragically passed away last year.

The topic of Kathleen Lynn was chosen because this remarkable woman was the subject of a major publishing project that Sarah had begun at the time of her death. This year also marks the 60th anniversary of the death of Kathleen Lynn in September of 1955. read full story / add a comment